Beyond the hype; transcending the trends

[Review] One Step Pimple Clear Pad by Cosrx

I’ve been debating for a while, which product I would write about next. My last two reviews had been written with mixed feelings about the products and I wanted to feature a product I truly believed to be a real gem. So here’s one I believe to be a real winner!

Love the simple packaging for the Cosrx Pimple Clear Pad!

What it is:

First off, this product is not to be confused with the Cosrx Pimple Master patch. The one step pimple clear patch is actually a piece of cotton with BHA and AHAs. For those of you who aren’t already familiar with the term, BHA stands for “beta hydroxy acid“. Its an anti-inflammatory chemical exfoliant, which is why the product is marketed as an acne solution. AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) exfoliants exfoliate the surface of the skin while BHA tend to penetrate deeper into the pores. Thus, this product gives a through cleaning of your skin.

There are many examples of AHAs, however, there is only one type of BHA: Salicylic acid. The star ingredient here is the active BHA in this product: Betaine Salicylate. If memory serves, the amount of BHA present in this product is the equivalent of 1% Salicylic Acid. I haven’t been able to find any sources to verify this. Sadly, the website which I bought mine from is no longer carrying it. The AHAs in this product are Lactic acid and Glycolic acid.

I’ve been breaking out over finals and I’ve noticed significant improvements overnight after using these pads.

Price:

I’d gotten mine on offer at the time, at about RM 79.00 for 70 pads. But since my retailer is no longer carrying it, here are some links to give you an idea of how much a tub of this costs.

Texture and Feel:

Here’s a look at the actual product. What you get is basically a stack of really moist cotton pads. They’re made quite well and won’t tear during application. Each pad has two sides; one side has raised bumps for exfoliation and the other is smooth for gentle application. The product does sting a little upon application when my breakouts are particularly significant. Like all chemical exfoliants, I wouldn’t recommend using these in places where you have open wounds as this could retard healing.

I don’t think this product is particularly helpful in taking out more deeply rooted blackheads, however, it does a decent job in getting rid of dead skin, sebum and other contaminants. I use mine after cleansing and still notice a significant amount of grime collecting on them after each use.

Application of this product is also super simple! Just go over your face in gentle sweeping motions until the pad gets grimey and somewhat dry.

The scent:

The product smells acidic but not too strongly. In my opinion, it smells just like tea tree oil, which is not surprising as it is a component in the list of ingredients. I don’t usually like the smell of tea tree oil (most products containing this tends to irritate my skin) but the pad works so well, I’m willing to overlook that.

The packaging:

The packaging for this product is simple and functional. There is the totally adorbs illustration on the cover and the tub screws tightly shut. There’s no excess moisture within the tub so there is no worries about it leaking even if you do drop it or take it travelling with you. The tub does come with a seal, although mine was already loose when it arrived. It was a bummer but I didn’t find this to affect the product in any way. Everything was still clean on the inside (as far as the eye could tell).

The bottom line:

So there you have it. The Cosrx One Step Pimple Clear Pad is a great product to have in your skin care arsenal. It’s a no frills pad that just works! I use it up to four times a week with no issues. However, Cosrx recommends only using it twice a week if you have sensitive skin. I really do see why many beauty gurus are into using it. One thing to note though is that this product is heavily marketed as a BHA exfoliant, but it does contain more AHA than BHA. If pimples are an issue for you, I highly recommend trying this product out.